This is about control, and maintaining dependence. Al Shabaab wants no challenges from any entity operating independently of its control that may in any way facilitate a challenge to its authority.
Hungry people can't fight back. "Somalia's al-Shabab militants ban Red Cross aid work," from BBC News, January 30 (thanks to The Religion of Peace):
Somalia's al-Shabab militants have banned the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) from operating in parts of the country it controls.The Islamist group said the ICRC had falsely accused them of blocking aid and had been handing out unfit food.
Al-Shabab controls large parts of south and central Somalia, which is suffering its worst drought in decades.
The ICRC, one of the few aid agencies operating there, said it had not heard about the ban.
The agency had suspended food distribution earlier this month saying militants had blocked supply routes, but it was still providing emergency care and water programmes.
Al-Shabab had already halted the work of several aid agencies working in the famine-hit region, including some from the UN. It accused them of exaggerating the scale of the problems for political reasons, and trying to convert Muslims to Christianity.
In a statement, it said the ICRC had "repeatedly betrayed the trust conferred on it by the local population and, in recent weeks, falsely accused the mujahideen [al-Shabab fighters] of hindering food distribution".
The group said 70% of food it had inspected in ICRC warehouses was unfit for human consumption, and that it had since destroyed nearly 2,000 tonnes of "expired" rations.
Baloney. Aid work depends on non-perishable, shelf-stable rations. And even if this were the case, if you were starving, if the date said, say, "Best before November 2011," would you care? If Al-Shabaab were starving, would they care?
Somalia is said to be one of the world's most dangerous places for aid workers to operate. It has not had a functioning central government for more than 20 years and has been wracked by fighting between various militias.The UN-backed government runs only a few areas, including the capital, Mogadishu, which al-Shabab withdrew from in August.
The UN says the areas worst affected by famine are in the southern and central areas, which are under the control of the al-Qaeda linked group.
In recent weeks, al-Shabab has lost ground to both Kenyan and Ethiopian forces, which have moved onto Somali territory.
great! no help is needed from the infidels!
Africans have been doing this all over their continent for years. Al-Shabaab isn't inventing anything here.
This won't stop Western 'liberals' from telling us to give aid to
Islamic jihadists of Somalia.
The group said 70% of food it had inspected in ICRC warehouses was unfit for human consumption, and that it had since destroyed nearly 2,000 tonnes of "expired" rations.
Reading between the lines: Al-Shabab stole nearly 2,000 tonnes of food from the mouths of the starving population to feed their fighters.
Clowns!
Let the jackasses starve. Get the hell out and use your resources elsewewre for perople with an an ounce of gratittude and a scintilla of brains
Somalia has 99% Muslim population. When there are filthy stinking oil rich Saudies and other rich Muslim countries are there,why should the west go to do this unwanted charity work,which is not at all apprecieated? They don't want aid from Red Cross just because it has a cross as a symbol. Just leave them to starve. Allah will take care of them.There are starving people in other parts of Africa,who will be too greatful to receivee such aids.
You can't have Islam without human misery.
Amen! Got Muslims? You got trouble.
"Somalia has 99% Muslim population."
Yes...and with all that Islam...peace is non=existant in Somalia...
The Qur'an lies...Islam is not the religion of peace..
They didn't destroy it. They stole it.
It is right next to the weapons cache. Follow the smell of corned beef.
"Let the jackasses starve. Get the hell out and use your resources elsewhere for people with an an ounce of gratitude and a scintilla of brains."
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+1
You said, "Let the jackasses starve. Get the hell out and use your resources elsewhere for people with an an ounce of gratittude and a scintilla of brains."
In this case, yes.
But I would add: and give a bit of help to the Ethiopians (Christian majority) and the Kenyans (Christian majority) to close their borders good and hard (they may need a very well-patrolled fence like the Israelis have got) to keep out marauding Mohammedans from Somalia.
Did you know that Keith Ellison wants the Somali community in Minneapolis to establish its own Somali-owned bank so that Somali-Americans can wire funds to Somalia without question and without interruption?
How can we continue sending financial remittances to a country that refuses Western humanitarian aid?